Yearly Archives: 2013

June 5, 2013Comments Off on Blogging it best: What to consider when starting one

Whether it’s what you write about, how long you write about it, or who’s writing it with you, intricacies abound in the art of law-related blogging. If you are considering starting a blog, or looking to overhaul your existing one, ...

You didn’t really expect a year of hard labor for a former Michigan Supreme Court justice, did you? Well, you won’t have to worry, because U.S. District Judge John Corbett O’Meara recommended Diane M. Hathaway be sent to the federal ...

June 4, 2013Comments Off on ACLU report finds racial bias in marijuana arrests

Black people are 3.7 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than white people despite comparable usage rates, according to a report released today by the American Civil Liberties Union. “The war on marijuana has disproportionately been a ...

June 4, 2013Comments Off on What’s the difference between ‘cause’ and ‘inflict’?

The nuanced difference between the words “cause” and “inflict” results in significantly fewer years in the joint for an inmate who fought with a corrections officer, says Judge Raymond M. Kethledge of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Phillip ...

June 4, 2013Comments Off on Man at center of driving-under-medical-marijuana case arrested

Ten days after the Michigan Supreme Court vindicated him for driving with medically prescribed marijuana in his system, a Northern Michigan man has been arrested again. The Traverse City Record-Eagle reports that Rodney Koon, 51, of Thompsonville on May 31 ...

Criminal defendants with diagnosed mental disorders or developmental disabilities could be diverted to mental health courts for supervised, community-based treatment under a four-bill package recently introduced in the Michigan House. A joint meeting of the House Judiciary and Health Policy ...

June 4, 2013Comments Off on Criminal Law – Defendant did not ‘inflict’ injury on corrections officer

Where a cut over a corrections officer’s eye could have been caused either when defendant prisoner struck him, or when the officer headbutted defendant while trying to subdue him, defendant was incorrectly convicted of a 20-year assault offense on a ...

June 4, 2013Comments Off on Employee or independent contractor? Misclassification could cost employers

For years, employers have struggled with correctly classifying workers as employees or independent contractors. When the economy went south, the problem became more serious as various state and federal agencies, seeking revenue, brought enforcement actions against companies that misclassified workers. ...

June 3, 2013Comments Off on The give-and-take on Senate foreclosure bills

Michigan homeowners will get less time to redeem their foreclosed properties under a package of bills approved by the Michigan Senate’s Banking and Financial Institutions Committee. But they’ll have more time, under new federal regulations to work out loan modifications ...

June 3, 2013Comments Off on Not everyone pleased with Justice Center’s $150K art purchase

The Ann Arbor Justice Center, which houses the 15th District Court, has a new $150,000 sculpture for visitors to enjoy — but some people are not exactly happy about the purchase. Ed Carpenter of Portland, Ore., recently finished installing the ...